Graduate Fashion Week

For every fashion student there is a pinnacle event that signifies the end of your degree and three years of hard work, blood, sweat and (quite often) tears; Graduate Fashion Week.

Now in it’s 19th year, GFW is still the best place to see emerging British talent and put your fledgling brand on the fashion map. As always Bristol’s University of the West of England (UWE) will be sending their best designs down the runway, including Amber Hards’ creations, below.

Amber, along with fellow UWE student Vanessa Harris, has been shortlisted for the Fashion Innovation Award which is sponsored by Hammerson, the owners of Bristol’s very own fashion behemoth, Cabot Circus.

The award is aimed at students who take a more ‘cutting edge’ approach to their designs and Amber made the cut by creating a knitwear collection inspired by the form and movement of jellyfish. Intricate methods and hooking techniques combined with innovative yarns secured a place on the shortlist and this is not the first time that UWE students have made an impression at GFW.

Above: Sketches show the intricacy of Hards' knitwear designs

In 2007 UWE graduate Nick Thomas won the River Island Gold Award for his knitwear collection and in 2005 UWE alumni Jess Noy won the same award for her deconstructed denim collection.

The event itself attracts plenty of press attention and with schools such as Central St Martins taking part, some shows are sold out weeks in advance – the likes of Christopher Kane and the late Alexander McQueen have had their graduate collections snapped up off the back of GFW and the shows are truly inspiring for students and industry insiders alike.

Graduate Fashion Week runs from 6th – 10th June at Earls Court and the UWE show takes place at 7pm on Sunday. For more information and tickets click here.